Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) Price Target Raised to $55.00 at Citigroup

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) had its price target boosted by Citigroup from $50.00 to $55.00 in a research report released on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the cell phone carrier’s stock.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on VZ. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Verizon Communications from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $56.00 price target on shares of Verizon Communications in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Evercore upped their price target on Verizon Communications from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Verizon Communications from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verizon Communications currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $50.32.

Verizon Communications Stock Performance

NYSE:VZ opened at $50.08 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $211.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.37, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.31. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $46.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.04. Verizon Communications has a twelve month low of $38.39 and a twelve month high of $51.67.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The cell phone carrier reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.06 by $0.03. Verizon Communications had a net margin of 12.43% and a return on equity of 19.03%. The firm had revenue of $36.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $36.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Verizon Communications has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-4.950 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Verizon Communications will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Verizon Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be paid a $0.7075 dividend. This is a boost from Verizon Communications’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.69. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.7%. Verizon Communications’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.15%.

Insider Transactions at Verizon Communications

In other Verizon Communications news, Director Hans Erik Vestberg sold 200,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.61, for a total transaction of $9,922,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 145,069 shares in the company, valued at $7,196,873.09. This represents a 57.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Joseph J. Russo sold 9,579 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.88, for a total value of $429,905.52. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,045 shares in the company, valued at $1,976,739.60. The trade was a 17.86% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 218,148 shares of company stock valued at $10,780,356. Insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VZ. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL lifted its stake in Verizon Communications by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 2,765 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $113,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the period. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 35,023 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $1,426,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,305 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $257,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the period. Triton Wealth Management PLLC grew its stake in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Triton Wealth Management PLLC now owns 9,257 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock worth $377,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the period. Finally, Clearstead Trust LLC raised its holdings in shares of Verizon Communications by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 9,788 shares of the cell phone carrier’s stock valued at $399,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.06% of the company’s stock.

Verizon Communications News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Verizon Communications this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on VZ to $55 and initiated/maintained a “buy” stance, signaling analyst conviction and providing upside guidance that likely supported buying interest earlier in the session. Citigroup raises VZ price target to $55
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a piece highlighting Verizon as a “strong momentum stock” using its style scores, which can attract momentum and quant-focused buyers. Here’s Why Verizon Communications (VZ) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative coverage (AT&T vs. Verizon) discusses 5G and fiber growth and valuation differences — useful for investors evaluating sector allocation and relative upside but not a direct catalyst. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks also published an AT&T vs. Verizon comparison with similar takeaways on network investment and valuation trade-offs — helpful context for longer-term positioning. AT&T vs. Verizon: Which Telecom Stock Has Better Upside Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor-focused reviews and primers (e.g., The Motley Fool) reiterate VZ’s scale, heavy capex and leverage profile — factors that support stable cash flow and dividends but cap upside for some investors. Verizon Stock in 2026: What Every Investor Needs to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of a new dividend-focused ETF and broader yield plays is peripheral but can influence income-seeking flows into telecom stocks like VZ. You Already Own SCHD. This New ETF Pays Twice the Yield With One Simple Swap
• Negative Sentiment: UBS moved VZ to a “hold,” a more cautious stance that can temper upside and weigh on sentiment among more conservative institutional holders. Verizon (VZ) Gets a Hold from UBS
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks noted a recent intraday decline in VZ’s share price in prior sessions, a reminder that short-term volatility has been present despite recent analyst support. Verizon Communications (VZ) Declines More Than Market

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE: VZ) is a major U.S.-based telecommunications company that provides a broad range of communications and information services. Its operations span consumer and business markets, with core offerings that include wireless voice and data services, fixed-line broadband and fiber-optic services, and enterprise networking solutions. Verizon is headquartered in New York City and operates a nationwide wireless network that supports consumer subscribers as well as business and government customers.

The company’s consumer products include mobile phone plans, unlimited data services, and Fios, its branded fiber-optic internet, television and voice service for homes and small businesses.